Apple Cinnamon Walnut Bran Muffins

Twenty years ago, if you were to tell me I’d be eating bran muffins regularly (Editor’s Note: “Regularly”…ha!), I’d assume you were crazy. But here I am in my mid 30s, doing just that. Fortunately, these particular fiber delivery mechanisms are as tasty as they are healthy.

At least I think they’re healthy. I don’t know for certain. They’re made with bran and not an overwhelming amount of sugar so they’ve got that going for ’em. At the very least, they’re better for you than, say, a Big Mac. Really, though, they’re basically a dessert that you can eat in the morning without feeling bad about yourself. Let’s call them what they are: breakfast cupcakes.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups wheat bran

1 cup buttermilk*

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup shredded apple

1/2 cup walnuts

*If you don’t have buttermilk—and who does?—simply add a tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of regular milk and let it sit for 5 or so minutes. The more you know…Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 3 x 4 or 2 x 3 muffin tin. You can use liners instead if that’s you’re thing.